Clarks Hill Lake Fishing Report – October 2017

Clarks Hill: Level: 7.6 feet low. Temp: High 70s to Low 80s. Clarity: Clear.

Linesides: Guide Brad Sasser reports, “The oxygen lines have been cut off earlier this year than they have been, but the water quality and temperature changed for the better quicker than it has in the past. Fall schooling season is upon us with groups of fish coming up mid-morning all across the lake. Some groups of fish are staying up a little longer than others. There is also a really good schooling bite around sunset. Some of the bigger schools are coming up around Parksville, Shriver and the Little River Bridge. This time of year, you will see all types of methods being productive. You can fish downlines, troll freelines or cast topwater lures, like a white-ice fluke. The breaking fish have all been in the 1- to 2-lb. range, but there are better fish from 4 to 6 pounds holding underneath and feeding on the bait that the little ones are busting up.  If you can locate a pod of bait running the top of the water right around daybreak, whether it be back in a creek or along the channel, you can about bet shortly after sunrise you will see some surface activity. The way things are changing in the lake extremely early this year, I would predict that the fish will start moving into the creeks early this year, and it will be time to pull planer boards relatively soon. One thing about pulling boards is that they do typically result in some very nice-sized stripers.”

Catfish: Guide Brad Sasser reports, “There are still plenty of catfish being caught 40 to 50 feet deep off of humps and points along the edge of the channel using live and cut herring.”

Crappie: Guide Brad Sasser reports, “The crappie bite around brushpiles and submerged timber is starting really early this year with some very nice coolers of slabs being caught on small minnows and jigs.”